If he wins, Teodoro said his will be a “liderato ng paghihilom and hindi pagbebenggansya (healing, not vengeful, leadership).”

His running mate, Manzano, said this is not the time for the country to experiment with the kind of leader they will elect. Teodoro—a former congressman, defense chief, and chair of the disaster response body—has a good track record in governance, he said.

There have been speculations that Lakas is fielding token national candidates because its agenda is to push for a shift to a parliamentary form of government, where the powers will be vested in the prime minister, and the president will have ceremonial duties.

The speculations were fueled once more when President Arroyo filed for congresswoman of Pampanga, a position that can lead to her being Speaker of the House, the equivalent of a Prime Minister under a unicameral parliamentary system.

Realistic slate

However, Teodoro said that the 4-man senatorial slate minimal number of candidates in his senatorial team is "the most optimal number that the party could have."

The Lakas standard-bearer was referring to the fact that there are a number of senators running for re-election and are therefore considered sure winners, so there may not be too many winnable slots next year. Thus, Lakas is realistically targetting only 4 slots.

The party, however, is open to having guest senatorial candidates, Teodoro said.

Although considered a serious and major candidate, being the standard-bearer of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, Teodoro is lagging behind in popularity surveys. The latest Social Weather Stations poll showed him with being preferred by only 4% of respondents, compared to the double-digit ratings of the other candidates.

Teodoro said that he has faith in the maturity of voters in choosing their leader. “I'm very confident that the people will realize the value of tested performance, with a good platform of balanced reform.” (Newsbreak)